How to stimulate your vagal nerve to help you feel a sense of peace

Have you ever felt tightness in your chest or your heartbeat racing when something negative happens? This is your brain detecting a threat which then activates the fight-or-flight response, the sympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic nervous system, on the other hand, helps switch on rest and digest response. However, it is not as easy to just press on the switch and feel relaxed. In the society we live in today our minds and bodies experience continuous low or high levels of chronic stress.

Your vagus nerves are the system that controls specific body functions which are involuntary. Below you will find some simple ways to come out of that fight or flight state and reconnect to yourself. Activate your vagus nerve to help you feel more Joy, Calm, Peace, and Love.

Connect to your breath:

Whether you are in fight-or-flight or feeling lethargic and unmotivated, simply focusing on your breath can immediately help you self-regulate. Slow, conscious, deep breathing from the diaphragm reduces cortisol levels. The Peace Balm of Serenity is a great tool to help you feel grounded and rebalanced instantly.

Tune into how your body feels:

Ask yourself, how do you feel? What does your body need right now? When you don’t pay attention to signals that your body is sending when you are stressed, it becomes difficult for your brain to know what messages to send to your nervous system to relax. Notice the differences in your body when you are at peace and when you are stressed. The first step to letting go of stress is being self-aware of when your body needs a moment to relax. The Peace Balm of Serenity immediately grounds you, try applying the balm on your pressure points and taking deep breaths.

Live in the present moment:

Living in the moment is harder said than done. Using your five senses and focusing on your surroundings such as listening to the birds chirping or noticing how the sun feels on your skin, are great ways to instantly bring you back to the present. Give yourself an arm and hand massage with our Body & Massage Oil. Focus on how the oil feels on your skin, what are the scents, and how your body feels.

Let go of negative thoughts:

It can be easy to get carried away with negativity, it is so hard to see the light when we are surrounded by clouds. The light is always there, focus on it and embrace it. When you are feeling negative try writing down your thoughts. For every negative write down two things you are grateful for. Practising gratitude helps to change the way you see things and minimises your perception of threats.

Loving connection:

Show others and YOURSELF love! This is one of the most powerful tools to help stimulate the ventral vagal network. Light the Kalmar Love candle and follow our founder's Self-Love meditation, take a nice warm bath using the Love Sensual Senses Bath Oil, or massage your body with either the Love Body & Massage Oil or the I Am Loved Body Cream. Make yourself feel safe, and connected and stimulate the vagus nerve.

Ice, Ice baby:

This one might be tough, but exposing yourself to cold temperatures can trigger the vagus nerve to lower your ‘flight-or-fight’ response. Take a cold shower (just a couple of minutes is enough) with the Kalmar Joy Body Polish or the Calm Deep Cocoon Shower Cream. If a full-body cold water shower is a bit too much, try splashing some cold water on your face.

We are on a mission to try to help you feel the best you can at any given moment. Our products are designed to empower you to connect with feelings of Joy, Calm, Peace, and Love.